Too Much To Handle
by ThE KiDDo
Summary: He was hit my thunder and then by the power of an Egyptian God... what if Jou was not strong enough to survive both of them? What would the others do? Reflected on Terry(i) S. story. [DeathFic]


**:Too Much To Handle:**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything, all belongs to somebody else who needs lessons in sharing. 

**Summary:** He was hit my thunder and then by the power of an Egypitian God... what if Jou was not strong enough to survive both of them? What would the others do? Reflected on Terry S. story. DeathFic 

**Author's Notes:** I've been thinking if I should write this or not, since it's been nagging at me since Terry passed on. Finally I decided to do so, it just seemed to be the only thing on my mind. Please note that I do not mean to offend anybody, not Terry's family or her husband, and especially not you guys, who have different views on this case. So, onegai, no flames. And to Joey's fans, I just want to say that I'm sorry that I'm putting Jou through this. Those of the opinions that are in the story are mine, and mine only, and once again, I don't mean anything by them but to express what I think about the whole case. 

**Warning:** Death of a character (Jou), some strong language. 

oo00O00oo

_+Too Much To Handle+_

He saw the attack coming, golden yellow coming out of the huge monster standing behind Marik. An Egyptian God monster, that what it was, and Joey could feel his heart hammering in his chest as the golden light traveled in a high speed in his direction. For a moment, he had a flashback of the time he was hit by that thunderstorm. He could not really remember what happened, could not remember how he felt but now, seeing the attack coming his way, he couldn't help but wonder how it would feel to be the victim of such great power. 

It was the worst pain he had been through, he decided as he was hit by the great power of the Egyptian God. He remembered when he had to pull out a tooth, and he thought that it was the most painful thing he had ever felt. Apparently, he was absolutely wrong. He felt the power attack every inch of his body, and he could not help but scream as his body seemed to slowly break apart. He was going to die on the spot, fried up like a chicken by a stupid duel monster, he thought. 

He thought he was in eternal Hell as the pain seemed to rapidly increase, but suddenly the glow around him disappeared and the pain was replaced by blissful numbness that he had welcomed with open arms. Eyes glazed over, Joey did not move for a second, his brain not functioning, still in shock from all that pain. With automatic movements, Jou shakily pulled a card out of his deck and called his monster onto the field. His finger pointed to the wild-haired Egyptian, he was about to attack the defenseless boy when the words died on his lips. Joey felt his brain shut down on him, and he pitched forward, the beginning of his fall. 

Afterwards, he was in eternal oblivion. 

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Tristan crossed his arms against his chest, resting his forehead on the cool galss of the window, looking at the place they have just left in hurry, his best friend carried out in his own arms. Dark shadows had hidden the field from view, and the brunet prayed that Yugi was winning the battle. Praying that he would not end up the same way Joey did. 

Hesitantly, Tristan turned his eyes to study his childhood friend. The tubes inserted into his body reminded him of the doctor that checked over him a while ago, and he remembered the words that was thrown their way. 

"Brain function is non existant." He said, then he put it in simpler words when Tristan demanded an explaination. "His brain is not working, at all." 

Tristan had ignored the news, after all, what would the doctor know. Joey did not have a natural medical problem, he had been attacked by an Egyptian God, he had lost a Shadow game. It was different, the doctor did not know what he was facing, what he was dealing with.That man with galsses had never seen the world past his books, he had never seen a Shadow game and the effect it had on people. Joey was going to be okay, they just needed to defeat Marik so he could his soul back. 

"But the other patient is just fine." The doctor tried to convince him. Mai was in a different condition that Joey, Mai was better, but the blonde did not get hit by a freaking God attack. Joey was. So, Tristan thought, it was natural for Jou to be in a worse way than Mai was. There was nothing wrong. Once Marik was gone, Joey would come back to the land of the living, brain working and all. Heck, his heart was beating just fine and he was breathing on his own, so he was alive. 

Right? 

Tristan watched as Serenity held onto her brother's hand, one of her hands brushing away the golden locks off his face, all the while talking to him in a soothing voice, hoping and praying that wherever he was, he heard her. Tristan suddenly felt his heart drop at the sight of the slack features. 

_Right?_

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

They had been ushered out of the hospital room they had moved Joey into after Marik was defeated once the teenaged blond started to regain consciousness. Doctors had filled the room along with nurses to observe the boy come back to life, and closed the door on the people who wanted the most to see their friend come back to them. 

The teenager waited, scattering around on chairs and floor next to the door of the room where Joey rested. It seemed like hours had passed on them before finally the door was softly opened, and people in white jackets and uniform dresses started to pile out of the room. Nobody liked the looks on their faces as they passed them to go down the hall, or the sad looks that were passed their way as they proceeded to leave the scene. 

Only one doctor stayed behind, and like moth attracted to flame, the youth surrounded him, looking for answers and wanting to get past him and into the room to see the missing one of their group. Hearts beating hard in their chests, they dreaded the look in the aged brown eyes and tried to brace themselves to whatever news they were about to receive. 

"I'm afraid I have bad news." 

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

"No!" 

"Yugi, listen to me-" 

"No way in hell, Tristan." The small boy retorted angrily, his eyes blazing with anger. "There's no way I'm going to let you kill my best friend." 

"Can't you understand! He is already dead, you idiot." 

"He's still breathing, dammit, his heart is still going! Look at him," Yugi pointed at the form on the hospital bed, and the taller boy refused to look over his shoulder. He could not bare the sight of the ever-energetic boy in that dead-like state he was in. "He's still alive, he's looking at me, you and everybody." 

"But is he seeing you?" Tristan said softly, sadness filling his voice as he tried to reason with the smaller boy. "Does he stop to really look at you? Does he wave and give you that shit-eating grin of his? Does he say what's up? Did he do anything that indicates he is actually alive?" 

"Fuck you, Tristan. He's moving, and as long as he is, he's then still alive to me." Yugi spat. "I'm not going to give up on him, just like he never given up on me." 

"It has been three weeks, Yugi, you heard the doctors since day one. There is no chance of recovery, even a little bit! This is not a duel monsters game, Yugi, this real life. There won't be no cards to draw and change the outcome in the last seconds. It is an unchanging fact, Jou would never really wake up. He would never have his normal life back, he is going to stay like this forever. Do you really want him to be like this? You know he would not want anybody to see him like this! Can't you respect his wishes, just stop thinking about your fucking self for a second and think about what he wo" 

The door of the room was knocked, and Tristan stopped his rant, panting slightly as rage and anger coursed through his body. He was glad the others were not in the room to witness him buttheads with his friend, Yugi, but after all the tears that he had allowed himself to shed, he knew what he should convince the others about what he believed and Tristan was not about to stop until what has to be done was done. 

Sending an unnecessary apologetic look into Joey's direction, he stopped for a second to study the features of his best friend and tears burned the back of his eyes as he remembered the Jou he knew, not this still body that stared blankly into space. Shaking his head in despair, he went to the door, appreciating the people's respect to the 'Knock and Wait' sign he had put on the door. The brunet did not want anybody else to see the blond in this condition except those who already have. 

Opening the door, he was quick in stepping out and shutting the door behind him. He raised his eyes to look in surprise at the taller boy standing before him. Never in million years would Tristan thought that Seto Kaiba would come to pay the 'mutt' a visit. He swallowed past the lump in his throat as he realized he would never see the blond react to that comment, ever again. 

"Kaiba." 

Seto nodded without any words, his cold eyes uncertain as he waited for the brunet to say something, or let him into the room. 

"Gomen nasai, Kiaba-san, but I cannot let you in." 

Kaiba nodded again, not knowing if he felt angered or relieved that he was not allowed to see Joey. The blue-eyed brunet did not want to see the blond in that state, he wanted to remember Wheeler as that idiot who he loved to waste some time on riling him up. "I understand." There was a heavy pause before he asked softly. "What are you going to do?" 

"We're looking into the options. We have not decided yet." Tristan could not meet the eyes of the CEO, not wanting him to see the tears that had started to fill his eyes up once again. 

Seto hesitated, not knowing if it was his place to voice his opinion but then decided to do it anyway. "He doesn't deserve this. Let him go." He said softly. 

Tristan nodded, relieved that someone was at least agreeing with him. 

"I don't know how my words are worth to you, but I'm really sorry." 

A raspy 'Thanks' was all he got, and the brunet decided that he had done enough. Looking at the door, he said his goodbyes and walked down the hall, knowing that he would never see Joey's face again. 

Wiping his eyes, Tristan entered the room once again. He sat next to Joey's bed, while Yugi had already taken the other side. He mimicked the smaller boy's actions and took one hand into both of his. 

"I'm not letting him go, Tristan." Said a hoarse voice, one that had been dried up by regular sobs. 

"I'm not letting you do this to him, Yugi." 

The two young men flanked the bed, both holding on tightly to what they believe was right, while a third laid on the hospital bed, not thinking anymore. Just staring blankly. 

Just staring blankly. 

+OWARI+

****

AN: I hope I've expressed clearly what I thought about Terry's case, and I'm sorry that poor Joey had to be the one going through this. I chose Tristan to be playing Michael's role because he's Joey's oldest and best friend, so I thought he would be the best to know what Jou would have wanted, and about Yugi, he just sometimes thinks emotionally. Please, tell me what you think, not only about the story but about the whole case of Terry... and please, no flames. 


End file.
